Track-sander.



W. H'LSMITH.

TRAGK SANDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1910 Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, OF GONNELLSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRACK-SANDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

Application filed July 25, 1910. Serial No. 573,610.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, WILL'IAM HENRY SMITH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Connellsville, in the county of yette and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTrack-Sanders, of which the following is a specification. V

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inthe construction of track sanders such as are commonly employed inconnection with locomotives and the like for feeding sand to the railimmediately in advance of the driving wheel to prevent slipping of thelatter, and the object of the invention is the provision of a device ofthis character embodying novel features of construction whereby the sandis prevented from becoming clogged in the sand pipe and a uniform flowof sand 1s always obtained when the valve isopened.

The invention further contemplates a track sander which is comparativelysimple and inexpensive in its construction, which Wlll operateeffectively in all kinds of weather and under all conditions, and whichcan be readily kept in perfect repair.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certaincombinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear asthe description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed outin the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is avertical sectional view through a track sanding device constructed inaccordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail perspectiveview of a portion of the agitating rod. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectionalview on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 1 is a similar view on the line4.4 of Fig. 1.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the samereference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodi- 'ment of the invention, thenumeral 1 designates the sand pipe which may be mounted upon thelocomotive in any desired manner, the upper end of the sand pipe beingin communication with the sand box, while the lower end of the sand pipeis curved inwardly toward the wheel 2 and terminates directly over therail 3 so as to deposit sand upon the rail when the device is inoperation. A valve casing & is interposed at a suitable point in thesand pipe 1 and has a slide 5 mounted therein. This slide normallycloses the sand pipe 1 so asto prevent the flow of sand therethrough,but is formed with an opening 6 which can be moved into registry withthe sand pipe so as to leave the same unobstructed. Extending throughthe sand pipe 1 is a flexible agitating rod which is formed of a seriesof loosely connected sections 7. By reference to Fig. 2, it will beobserved that alternate joints between the various sections 7 of theagitating rod are arranged at substantially right angles to each otherso that the said rod can be flexed freely in all directions and willreadily accommodate itself to any curves in the sand pipe. Each of thesections 7 of the agitating rod has a series of transverse pins 8inserted within the same so as to provide lateral arms which projectupon opposite sides of the rod. Attention may be directed to the fact,that as shown on the drawing, the pins 8 at the ends of the sections 7serve as the pivot pins by means of which the said sections areconnected to each other. As will be hereinafter more fully described,when the device is in operation, a reciprocating movement is imparted tothe agitating rod, and the sand is thereby prevented from becomingclogged in the sand pipe as very frequently happens in rainy and wetweather with the sanding devices which are in use at the present time.The agitating rod is shown as received in a slot 9 in the valve slide 5when the said valve is moved into a closed position, a lip 10 beingprovided which projects from the valve casing 4 immediately under theslot- 9 so as to prevent the sand from passing through the said slotwhenthe valve is closed. With this construction, it will be apparent thatthe agitating rod will not interfere in any manner with the action ofthe slide valve, but that the latter can be readily moved into either anopen or closed position as may be desired.

The valve slide 5 is connected by a rod 11 to a piston 12 which operatesWithin a cylinder 13. A spring 1 1 which surrounds the piston rod 11 andis interposed between the end of the cylinder and the piston normallytends to move the piston toward the outer end of the cylinder so as tohold the valve in a closed position. The outer end of this cylinder 13communicates with a compressed air pipe 15, and one side of the cylindering 17 within which a turbine wheel 18 is rotatably mounted. This casing17 communicates with a passage 19 which leads to the sand pipe 1 so thatafter the compressed air has acted upon the turbine wheel 19 to rotatethe same, it will enter the sand pipe and assist in causing the sand toflow freely through the same. The turbine wheel 18 is rigid with thecrank shaft 20 upon which it is mounted, and this crank shaft is 0011-nected by a pitman 21 to one of the links or sections 7 of the agitatingrod. It will thus be obvious that when the compressed air is admitted tothe turbine wheel for the purpose of rotating the same, the agitatingrod will be reciprocated up and down within the sand pipe.

The upper end of the pipe 16 is normally closed by the piston 12 asindicated in Fig. 1, and the device is then in an inoperative position.When it is desired to feed sand to the track, compressed air is admittedto the pipe 15 so as to act upon the piston 12. The pressure of this airagainst the piston will move the said piston against the action of thespring 1 1 so as to open the slide valve 5 and also leave the upper endof the pipe 16 unobstructed. The compressed air will then flow throughthe pipe 16 so as to rotate the turbine wheel 18 and operate theagitating rod, as has been previously described. It will thus be obviousthat by merely opening a valve of some suitable form and permitting thecompressed air to flow through the pipe 15, the main valve will beopened and the agitating rod reciprocated so as to cause the steady anduniform flow of sand through the sand pipe. As soon as the supply ofcompressed air is shut off from the pipe 15,

the spring lt acts upon the piston 12 to close the main valve and shutoif communication between the compressed air pipe and the pipe 16.

While I have described one specific form of the invention, I do not wishto be restricted to the exact details shown therein, since minor changescan be made without departing in any manner from the spirit of theinvention.

Having thus described the invention,what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a track sander, the combination of a sand pipe communicating witha lateral passage, agitating means mounted within the sand pipe so as toreciprocate therein, a rod entering the sand pipe through the lateralpassage and having an operative connection with the agitating means, andmeans cooperating with the rod to reciprocate the agitating means.

2. In a track sander, the combination of a sand pipe, agitating meansmounted withg in the sand pipe, a turbine, an air pipe leadcommunicatesthrough a pipe 16 with a cas- I side of the sand pipe, and a rodarranged ing from the'exhaust of the turbine to one within the air pipe,the said rod producing an operative connection between the turbine andthe agitating means within the sand In a track sander, the combinationof a sand pipe, a valve for the sand pipe, and agitating means arrangedwithin the sand pipe, the said agitating means being constructedindependent of the valve and ex tending upon both sides of the same.

41. In a track sander, the combination of a sand pipe, a jointedagitating rod mounted within the sand pipe so as to reciprocate therein,a turbine wheel, and an operative connection between the turbine wheeland the jointed agitating rod.

5. In a track sander, the combination of a sand pipe, and a jointedagitating rod arranged within the sand pipe, the various joints of theagitating rod having axes at angles to each other. 7

6. In a track sander, the combination of a sand pipe, a jointedagitating rod extending through the sand pipe, the said agitating rodbeing composed of a number of sections which are connected to each otherby pivot joints having their axes at angles to each other, andtransverse pins applied to the agitating rod.

7. In a track sander, the combination of a sand pipe, a valve for thesand pipe, agitating means arranged within the sand pipe so as toreciprocate back and forth therein and move independently of the valve,and means for simultaneously opening the valve and throwing theagitating means into op eration, the said agitating means continuing toreciprocate back and forth as long as the valve remains in an openposition.

8. In a track sander, the combination of a sand pipe, a valve for thesand pipe, agitating means arranged within the sand pipe so as toreciprocate back and forth therein and move independently of the valve,an air cylinder, a piston mounted within the air cylinder, and meanswhereby the valve and agitating means are simultaneously controlled bythe movements of the said piston, the agitating means continuing toreciprocate back and forth as long as the valve is open.

9. In a track sander, the combination of a sand pipe, agitating meanswithin the sand pipe, an air cylinder, a piston mounted within. the aircylinder, a valve for the sand pipe having an operative connection withthe piston, a turbine wheel, an operative connection between the turbinewheel and the agitating means, and means whereby the supply of a motivemedium to the turbine wheel is controlled by the action of the,

piston.

10. In a track sander, the combination of a sand pipe, agitating meansmounted within the sand pipe, an air cylinder, a piston mounted withinthe air cylinder, a valve for the sand pipe having an operativeconnection with the piston, a turbine wheel, an operative connectionbetween the turbine Wheel and the agitating means, a supply pipe leadingfrom the turbine wheel to the cylinder and normally closed by thepiston, and means for admitting compressed air to the cylinder formoving the piston to open the valve and uncover the supply pipe lead ingto the turbine Wheel.

11. In a track sander, the combination of a sand pipe, agitating meanswithin the sand pipe, an air cylinder, a piston mounted within the aircylinder, a spring normally tending to move the piston toward one end ofthe air cylinder, a valve for the sand pipe having an operativeconnection with the piston, a turbine, an operative connection betweenthe turbine and the agitating means, and a compressed air pipe leadingto the cylinder, the compressed air acting upon the piston to move itagainst the spring and open the valve and being then led fromthecylinder to the turbine.

12. In a track sander, the combination of a sand pipe, an agitating rodmounted within the sand pipe, an air cylinder, a piston mounted withinthe air cylinder, a spring normally tending to move the piston towardone end of the air cylinder, a valve for the sand pipe having anoperative connection with the piston, a turbine casing in commu nicationwith both the sand pipe and the air cylinder, the piston within the aircylinder normally shutting off communication between the turbine casingand the interior of the cylinder, a turbine wheel mounted within theturbine casing, a crank operated by the turbine Wheel, a pitmanconnecting the crank to the agitating rod, and a compressed air pipeleading to the cylinder, the compressed air acting upon the piston tomove it against the spring so as to open the valve and establishcommunication between the cylinder and the turbine casing.

13. In a track sander, the combination of a sand pipe, an agitating rodmounted within the sand pipe, a turbine, an operative connection betweenthe turbine and the agitating rod for reciprocating the same back andforth within the pipe, and means for admitting compressed air to theturbine.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I WILLIAM HENRY SMITH. Witnesses:

N. S. BROOKS, JOHN E. CoBLE.

